News Excerpt: 

Allegations of NEET-UG and UGC-NET paper leaks on the dark web spark nationwide protests and concerns over exam integrity.

More about the news:

• Central Bureau of India (CBI) investigation revealed that the UGC-NET question paper was leaked 48 hours before the exam.
• The leaked paper matched the original and was sold on the dark web for Rs 6 lakh.
• The paper was later circulated on Telegram, with prices ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000.
• This discovery led to the exam's immediate cancellation by the Education Ministry.
• The Government has recently notified the Public Examinations Act. to curb rising exam leak cases.

What is the Dark Web? 

• The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that is not indexed by regular search engines and can only be accessed through special browsers like Tor (The Onion Router). 
• Communications on the dark web are heavily encrypted, providing high anonymity for users and leaving no traces between sender and receiver.
• The dark web itself is only a part of the Deep Web

Dangers associated with the use of Dark Web:

• Originally developed for secure, anonymous communication, particularly for government and military use,

• The dark web has become synonymous with criminal activities in recent times.
• Cybercriminals exploit it for various illegal activities, including the sale of illegal weapons and drugs.
• Malware and Cybercrime Malware thrives on the dark web, actively sold on certain platforms, providing cybercriminals with tools for cyberattacks.
• Keyloggers, botnet malware, ransomware, and phishing malware are some of the malicious software that users can find themselves exposed to on the dark web.

Conclusion: 

The dark web poses a significant risk to online security and law enforcement efforts. Its use by cybercriminals for activities such as exam paper leaks highlights the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and vigilant monitoring to mitigate its dangers.